he’ll know. He said Aivas told him a lot about dolphins. That’s what they really are, not shipfish, you know.”
I
know now. Dolphins, not shipfishes. And they can talk.
“I think we’d better go back to the Weyr,” T’lion said, checking the slant of the westering sun. “And, Gaddie, let’s keep this adventure to ourselves, shall we?”
It’s fun to know something other people don’t
, the bronze replied, just as he had on several other occasions when he and his rider had spent some privatetime investigating on their own. There was so much to explore! Of course, if T’lion had not been conscientious about his
duties
, Gadareth would not have been so willing to take free time, but T’lion was very good about doing fun things only when he had finished his assigned chores.
Sounds were sent that the dragons which mans had made still liked dolphins. Dolphins had seen dragons in the skies since mans went to the New Place North Dolphins had sung to dragons but had not been answered. Dragons talked to their riders in a fashion that dolphins did not quite understand. They
felt
the speech and saw the results
—
the dragon doing what the rider asked. Dragons provided many new games. They liked having their undersides ski-ritched and mans were always inspecting them so they did not have any more blufiss. They did not mind being jumped and providing sport for dolphins. They had very big and colored eyes, not like dolphins. Dolphins had jumped to see. Dragon had been pleased to see them play.
Back at Eastern Weyr, T’lion was sent off to help in the kitchen, which he never minded because it gave him a chance to see what dinner would be and he always managed to sneak a few bites. When his brother twitted him about having to do drudge chores because he wasn’t big enough or old enough for anything else, T’lion invariably gave K’din the reaction he expected and never admitted that he
liked
doing the tasks set him. The best part was that he never knew from one day to the next what he’d be doing.
Before appearing at the main Weyr Hall, T’lion saw Gadareth comfortable in his own sandy wallow, a clearing in the thick jungle that T’lion had prepared for his dragon when they were considered old enough to leave the weyrling barracks. T’lion lived in a single-roomed accommodation that looked out onto the clearing. He even had a covered porch where, on the hottest nights, he slept in the hammock slung between wall and porch support. Having lived, up until his Impression, in a hold too small for all the brothers and sisters he shared it with, T’lion treasured his privacy. He felt very lucky indeed, because he could just remember the cold winters and the harsh winds of his birthhold in Benden Hold. Living south was much better. Even in Benden Weyr riders had to live in cold caves high up on the Weyrside. Here, he could live right in the forest, with fruit to be picked from branches whenever he wanted.
Over the next few weeks, T’lion and Gadareth spent a good deal of time conveying Master Menolly about, usually by direct flight, since she was too pregnant to go
between
—sometimes to Landing, but most often to Cove Hold to see Master Robinton, old Lytol, and D’ram. Neither were long flights if the winds were right, as they often were at this time of year. While he was waiting to return Master Menolly, he and Gadareth had plenty of time to bathe in the lovely waters of the cove. Then, when he and Gadareth went exploring one day, they found a second cove to the west, with deep waters, where dolphins swam.
That was quite a boon for T’lion and Gadareth, for dolphins seemed as eager to talk to them as theywere to improve their relationship. Neither rider nor dragon realized that dolphins swam in groups called pods, patrolling certain areas as their home waters, just as dragons had certain areas they patrolled to keep Threadfree. T’lion didn’t have a bell, couldn’t find one at the Weyr Hall, but Gadareth’s
I
know now. Dolphins, not shipfishes. And they can talk.
“I think we’d better go back to the Weyr,” T’lion said, checking the slant of the westering sun. “And, Gaddie, let’s keep this adventure to ourselves, shall we?”
It’s fun to know something other people don’t
, the bronze replied, just as he had on several other occasions when he and his rider had spent some privatetime investigating on their own. There was so much to explore! Of course, if T’lion had not been conscientious about his
duties
, Gadareth would not have been so willing to take free time, but T’lion was very good about doing fun things only when he had finished his assigned chores.
Sounds were sent that the dragons which mans had made still liked dolphins. Dolphins had seen dragons in the skies since mans went to the New Place North Dolphins had sung to dragons but had not been answered. Dragons talked to their riders in a fashion that dolphins did not quite understand. They
felt
the speech and saw the results
—
the dragon doing what the rider asked. Dragons provided many new games. They liked having their undersides ski-ritched and mans were always inspecting them so they did not have any more blufiss. They did not mind being jumped and providing sport for dolphins. They had very big and colored eyes, not like dolphins. Dolphins had jumped to see. Dragon had been pleased to see them play.
Back at Eastern Weyr, T’lion was sent off to help in the kitchen, which he never minded because it gave him a chance to see what dinner would be and he always managed to sneak a few bites. When his brother twitted him about having to do drudge chores because he wasn’t big enough or old enough for anything else, T’lion invariably gave K’din the reaction he expected and never admitted that he
liked
doing the tasks set him. The best part was that he never knew from one day to the next what he’d be doing.
Before appearing at the main Weyr Hall, T’lion saw Gadareth comfortable in his own sandy wallow, a clearing in the thick jungle that T’lion had prepared for his dragon when they were considered old enough to leave the weyrling barracks. T’lion lived in a single-roomed accommodation that looked out onto the clearing. He even had a covered porch where, on the hottest nights, he slept in the hammock slung between wall and porch support. Having lived, up until his Impression, in a hold too small for all the brothers and sisters he shared it with, T’lion treasured his privacy. He felt very lucky indeed, because he could just remember the cold winters and the harsh winds of his birthhold in Benden Hold. Living south was much better. Even in Benden Weyr riders had to live in cold caves high up on the Weyrside. Here, he could live right in the forest, with fruit to be picked from branches whenever he wanted.
Over the next few weeks, T’lion and Gadareth spent a good deal of time conveying Master Menolly about, usually by direct flight, since she was too pregnant to go
between
—sometimes to Landing, but most often to Cove Hold to see Master Robinton, old Lytol, and D’ram. Neither were long flights if the winds were right, as they often were at this time of year. While he was waiting to return Master Menolly, he and Gadareth had plenty of time to bathe in the lovely waters of the cove. Then, when he and Gadareth went exploring one day, they found a second cove to the west, with deep waters, where dolphins swam.
That was quite a boon for T’lion and Gadareth, for dolphins seemed as eager to talk to them as theywere to improve their relationship. Neither rider nor dragon realized that dolphins swam in groups called pods, patrolling certain areas as their home waters, just as dragons had certain areas they patrolled to keep Threadfree. T’lion didn’t have a bell, couldn’t find one at the Weyr Hall, but Gadareth’s
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